DNA is part of what makes us who we are, and DNA analysis is an important part of crime detection now. Talking of which, I have just finished reading the latest edition of Red Herrings, the bulletin of the Crime Writers Association. As usual, several nuggets caught my attention. David Hodges penned an article about characters. David is a former police superintendent, and author of 17 crime novels, including his Somerset Levels murder series. His article addresses the question a reader asked, which was whether his characters seemed real to him?
David’s answer is that they do. They’re based on real people, and have the flaws of real people. He talks about a reviewer who took exception to his character leaving her police radio in her car by mistake, saying that would never happen in real life. David knew that it had happened in his own experience. My cousin Bill, who is over from Canada at the moment, told us, only yesterday, about a similar mistake he had made during his career as a police officer.
There is an article celebrating 70 years of James Bond 007. I am excited to read that there is a new James Bond book out on 4th May, written by Charlie Higson. It is conceived as a celebration of King Charles III’s coronation, and titled On His Majesty’s Secret Service. I was also intrigued to learn that Ian Fleming sold a 51% stake in Glidrose Productions to Booker McConnell after a discussion with their chairman on the 18th hole of Huntercombe Golf Club. I played at Huntercombe only a few weeks ago. In Ian Fleming’s books, Bond is a member of two golf clubs, Huntercombe and Sunningdale. I hope to play Sunningdale one day too.
I’m looking forward to attending some of the fabulous CWA events. Sadly the ones currently advertised are all when I hope to be sailing. Oh well, there will be others.
Going back to the question of whether a writer’s characters seem real to them, mine most definitely do. In my first novel, The Spy who Sank the Armada, over 80% of the characters were real, historical characters. I fit as many real characters into the stories as I feel appropriate. I read biographies of them to ensure that I understand them as well as I possibly can. My hero, Sir Anthony Standen is my 10th great-granduncle, so I share some of his DNA. Although his descendants spring from my imagination, we certainly share DNA.